Hastings Off

[Special Agent]

Inconsistent (unsafe) track at Hastings so, just the two races there today.

No further comment from me required.

[mikeynz]

I guess Tony Lee is happy he didn't drive there for nothing, probably knows the road like the back of his hand.

[Freda]

Disgraceful.    All the while patting themselves on the back in a mutual wankfest about how NZ racing will captivate the world.

Get the basics right, you clowns.

[Assange]

3 minutes ago, Freda said:

Disgraceful.    All the while patting themselves on the back in a mutual wankfest about how NZ racing will captivate the world.

Get the basics right, you clowns.

Well put. I couldn't have said it better.

[Wingman]

53 minutes ago, Assange said:

Well put. I couldn't have said it better.

Concur 100%. Karaka is becoming a money beast so this will be kicked under the carpet short term. There is some major thought/work required next month as the Lowland on the 28th Feb is a critical leadup into the Oaks and on the 18th Feb there  is a low key meeting scheduled at Hastings but it does include open 40K Wairoa cup. I would transfer that meeting to Tauherenikau which can handle volume racing. (meetings on 3rd and 24th March follow) That gives whoever, a month to put the Hastings track into some sort of order. This reiterates what many have said re lack of regular maintenance on our main tracks starting to really bite. The question that must be answered is why is the track in such poor condition when there has been nearly 3 weeks between meetings?

[Chief Stipe]

31 minutes ago, Wingman said:

18th Feb there  is a low key meeting scheduled at Hastings but it does include open 40K Wairoa cup

Why not shift it back to Wairoa?

[Wingman]

Racing is no longer at Wairoa or Gisborne. No point arguing that one although last years storms have made the east coast road even more fragile

[Chief Stipe]

1 minute ago, Wingman said:

Racing is no longer at Wairoa or Gisborne. No point arguing that one although last years storms have made the east coast road even more fragile

Irony?  Tongue in Cheek?

[Doomed]

18 minutes ago, Chief Stipe said:

Why not shift it back to Wairoa?

Wash your mouth out.

[Chief Stipe]

2 minutes ago, Doomed said:

Wash your mouth out.

Probably right.  Those meeting weren't good for the gout.

[Special Agent]

As one trainer told NZTR, don't bother us with stable audits until you get tracks up to scratch.

What they are and aren't doing with track maintenance is killing and injuring.  I don't think a bucket not properly scrubbed is even worthy of mention on their report.

[jess]

Freda - greetings to you.  I respect your knowledge and experience - both greater than mine when it comes to horse racing.  So tell me - would it really not have been possible until after 2 races had been run (and the destruction of one horse - no idea whether that was related to the "inconsistencies" in the track however) - to tell that the track was not safe to race on that day?  Would a track manager and any others involved at the venue have no way of knowing prior that there were issues? 

Do they just rock up on race day not really knowing what the track is like - assume all is well & hope for the best? (known round my place as a "suck it & see" approach 😜) 

Or would there more likely be a inkling of trouble afoot (no pun intended) - but keep it on the down-low, fingers crossed for clement weather, good luck & we all get through ok?

Also interesting to know how the rate of these mid-meeting cancellations compares with other venues around the world running on turf .... 

[TAB For Ever]

Messara stated in his report that no track in NZ was up to scratch.......since then this has been proven correct plus weather extremes have become worse. A few tracks have had quite major work which may now give them a pass mark.

Why not act on what was obvious over 50 years ago ,but is more obvious now. NZ has too many tracks .

Concentrate on complete renovation/replacement of 10[ yes 10  x tracks]. Close the rest and where possible sell the land to fund the new surfaces. Ellerslie cost $55 mil. A sale of Avondale would go a long way .

Add the 3 x synthetics and allow the once a year tracks to continue should they meet standards ! In total there would be less than 20.

For decades the track issue has competed with the pathetic stakes as the most urgent ailment of the industry ,and the well overdue recent stakes increase would not go far @ $50 mil a pop. At one time not so long ago it was estimated that transport costs in NZ racing was greater than the total stakes paid out .

Do them once and do them properly...the past has gone ,concentrate on the future. Create don't cry and bemoan the past ! 

[Freda]

6 hours ago, jess said:

Freda - greetings to you.  I respect your knowledge and experience - both greater than mine when it comes to horse racing.  So tell me - would it really not have been possible until after 2 races had been run (and the destruction of one horse - no idea whether that was related to the "inconsistencies" in the track however) - to tell that the track was not safe to race on that day?  Would a track manager and any others involved at the venue have no way of knowing prior that there were issues? 

Do they just rock up on race day not really knowing what the track is like - assume all is well & hope for the best? (known round my place as a "suck it & see" approach 😜) 

Or would there more likely be a inkling of trouble afoot (no pun intended) - but keep it on the down-low, fingers crossed for clement weather, good luck & we all get through ok?

Also interesting to know how the rate of these mid-meeting cancellations compares with other venues around the world running on turf .... 

Hi Jess.       Have been wondering, with your prolonged absence, if all was well with you?  your eloquence, humour and wisdom have been missed for sure.

Every time there is an abandonment we have an 'investigation' by NZTR personnel, a report, and guidelines 'going forward to prevent a recurrence'.  Clearly, the guidelines might just as well have been written on toilet paper.

This just happens over and over.  Poor Elen Nicholas is in hospital, a horse has been lost, how lucky that someone wasn't killed?

Regional managers were recently put in to advise local managers, and under that scenario, we had the debacle at NZ Cup time two years ago.   Overseen by the regional track manager of the district.    

Tracks have been closed over the country,  at the whim of head office with little consideration for the knock-on effects.  We now have more racedays than ever before, fewer tracks and those left are under huge pressure to be up to scratch.  Add modern H&S requirements, quite simply, the model is not fit for purpose.

Should the H.B management have known there was a problem?  of course they should have.    But they aren't alone.  And no one is implying that injury to horses and/or riders is what they wanted.  Of course they didn't.

Do they just rock up on raceday?  it seems so.   Information from other turf jurisdictions would be very interesting indeed.  Our resident statistician might, if he can be bothered, find us some data to that effect.

One thing is certain, more revues and more statements will be ensuing.  

[curious]

12 hours ago, Freda said:

Disgraceful.    All the while patting themselves on the back in a mutual wankfest about how NZ racing will captivate the world.

Get the basics right, you clowns.

I couldn't agree more. We have a dead horse, badly injured rider and a mid-summer abandonment at great cost to participants, in the midst of a very reasonable weather pattern. I don't know if the coincident accidents were related to the unsafe and inconsistent track that was delivered, however, it is not a good look either way and this is the product that we continue to present to the world alongside the gates fiasco in a G1 and the water trough incident on another G1 day in recent weeks.

I am not opposed to the initiatives announced this week of a Champions day and a slot race (nor the other date and programming changes) provided that they are not designed in a way that interferes with the Pattern. What would really stick in my craw though is if it turns out that NZTR have provided any of the funding for these events from funds that could otherwise have been allocated to upgrading or renovating our now disastrous tracks and equipment.

Edited January 25 by curious

[holy ravioli]

'NZTR have provided any of the funding for these events from funds that could otherwise have been allocated to upgrading or renovating our now disastrous tracks and equipment.'

Safe bet ...they have...imo.

[Huey]

22 minutes ago, curious said:

 

I am not opposed to the initiatives announced this week of a Champions day and a slot race (nor the other date and programming changes) provided that they are not designed in a way that interferes with the Pattern. What would really stick in my craw though is if it turns out that NZTR have provided any of the funding for these events from funds that could otherwise have been allocated to upgrading or renovating our now disastrous tracks and equipment.

They will do exactly what the KM has done to the pattern, nzracing will eat itself mark my words.

[Chief Stipe]

GROUND HOG DAY!!!  15 September 2015.

 

TURFTECH PARTNERSHIP LTD REPORT INTO HASTINGS ABANDONMENT PUBLISHED

30 September 2015, 1:53 p.m.

TURFTECH PARTNERSHIP LTD REPORT INTO HASTINGS ABANDONMENT PUBLISHED

 

An independent technical audit by Turftech Partnership Ltd of the Hastings track has been unable to identify any physical issue that contributed to the abandonment on 19 September 2015.

 

Turftech's report examined:

 

1. Core samples taken at the area of the slip taken on the day of the abandonment, which were reviewed and tested for moisture profile, soil structure, soil function, porosity and compaction;

2. Penetrometer readings across the whole track;

3. irrigation records; and a

4. Physical examination of the track surface.

 

Jim Murphy, the Turftech partner who conducted the investigation said: "Slippery tracks almost always involve a wetter layer over a harder soil. The irrigation used at Hastings before the races had set up an evenly wet soil. The water content from the slip area agreed with the course penetrometer reading .... All cores appeared to show even moisture down to at least 75 mm in depth."

 

A track inspection on Tuesday, 22 September, found only one slip mark, around the area where Tiger Tim had been reported to have slipped in race three.

“Soil moisture under the slip mark was what we would have predicted, from penetrometer readings, for all the course proper,” said Murphy. “I was able to inspect many hoof prints in the adjacent area and none showed any movement.”

 

The Hastings track has received more than 145 mls of rain since 19 September but might be no worse than dead for Livamol Classic meeting on Saturday. “It has all soaked in, which has been great,” track manager, Richard Fenwick, said. “The forecast is good and I’m pretty confident that, without rain, the track will come back to dead.”

 

The Turftech report is one of three independent reviews commissioned by NZTR following the abandonment on 19 September.

 

A more wide-ranging review is being undertaken by Bell Gully partners Mark Freeman and Rachael Brown and is expected to be completed within the next week. The Bell Gully review will include interviews with Hawke’s Bay Racing and NZTR officials, the Racing Integrity Unit, the Jockeys’ Association, turf experts and leading track managers in Sydney and Melbourne.

 

[Chief Stipe]

8 hours ago, TAB For Ever said:

A few tracks have had quite major work which may now give them a pass mark.

Including Hastings!  Ground Hog Day!!

[Chief Stipe]

8 hours ago, TAB For Ever said:

Messara stated in his report that no track in NZ was up to scratch.......since then this has been proven correct plus weather extremes have become worse

Fake News post.  Messara used multiple criteria when assessing Racecourses.  Some of the tracks he failed were failed on the basis that they didn't have adequate hospitality facilities (in his opinion) NOT because the track was crap.

Some very good turf trqcks have been closed down  or starved of race meetings effectively closing them down.  For example Foxton.

Meanwhile we see an abandonment at a track that has had work on it!  Are you proposing the close Hastings down?  Probably could have raced safely at Wairoa or Waipukurau.

[curious]

1 hour ago, Chief Stipe said:

GROUND HOG DAY!!! 

That's not supposed to be until next week.

It's also what they are supposed to be using on the track prior to irrigation preceding meetings. Did they?

Edited January 25 by curious

[Assange]

14 hours ago, Chief Stipe said:

Why not shift it back to Wairoa?

Or Foxton 🤣🤣

[Freda]

So, in my memory, we have had [ here in the south ]  Wyndham, Waikouaiti,  Winton, Tapanui, Beaumont, Waimate, Amberley, Rangiora, Blenheim, Nelson, Westport, Hokitika, Motukarara tracks all no longer raced upon.   Hororata a bit before my time.

In all this 'rationalisation'  where are the savings?  the benefits?    In all this  'too many tracks'  dogma,  I haven't seen any specific figures to convince us that the right decisions have been made.

In the last twenty years, NZ racing has been steadily losing ground and revenue has fallen at a faster rate than ever before.  At one time, racing actually paid its way - and tax too.

It should be absolutely flying with all those burdensome country tracks no longer needing funding.

 

[Doomed]

2 hours ago, Freda said:

So, in my memory, we have had [ here in the south ]  Wyndham, Waikouaiti,  Winton, Tapanui, Beaumont, Waimate, Amberley, Rangiora, Blenheim, Nelson, Westport, Hokitika, Motukarara tracks all no longer raced upon.   Hororata a bit before my time.

In all this 'rationalisation'  where are the savings?  the benefits?    In all this  'too many tracks'  dogma,  I haven't seen any specific figures to convince us that the right decisions have been made.

In the last twenty years, NZ racing has been steadily losing ground and revenue has fallen at a faster rate than ever before.  At one time, racing actually paid its way - and tax too.

It should be absolutely flying with all those burdensome country tracks no longer needing funding.

 

Pam! I'm shocked. How could you forget Orari?

I think Methven was once a galloping track as well. I seem to recall mention Grey Way won there.

[Freda]

5 minutes ago, Doomed said:

Pam! I'm shocked. How could you forget Orari?

I think Methven was once a galloping track as well. I seem to recall mention Grey Way won there.

How indeed?    We got the concession double there once!        Castle Hill/Zebak.    Grey Way the stumbling block - of course.